The Long Journey
by Lyrical Elf
Summary: This is my imagined backstory for Solerna.  It covers the elections, events aboard ship and the landing process.  Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_Typical disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters or any rights to Anna Schubarth's "Solerna" or other publications. I just love the book and the characters and wanted to try my hand at filling in a little backstory. Reviews are always appreciated. - L.E._

Jarrod was getting pretty darned sick of being aboard ship. At first it seemed like an adventure, travelling through the stars to a new planet, but the sense of wonder wore off quickly. It took roughly two weeks to explore the limits of the ship. At least the part of the ship his group was permitted to use. Another week went to making friends with the calves and baby goats. The rabbits and chickens were interesting, but the noise and mess of their hutches made Jarrod give up on them rather quickly.

His mother, Karen, wanted Jarrod to mingle with the other kids, play nice, get to know them. Of course, Karen had little time for Jarrod herself, other than brief fussing when his hair wasn't neat enough or his clothes were rumpled. At 9 years old, Jarrod wasn't overly concerned with these things.

At night, when he curled up in his bunk, he missed home. He missed his dad. He still didn't understand why Dad had chosen to stay behind, and after his mother's reaction to his questions, he doubted he'd ever find out the reasons. So, Jarrod thought about home in the dark of night, but firmly pushed away those thoughts as soon as he heard the alert signaling morning.

Karen was already up, and Jarrod frowned as he realized she was paying extra attention to her clothes and hair today. Days when his mother fussed over herself were sure to be days when he would be miserable. It didn't take long for his fears to come true.

As soon as he folded his bed into the wall, his mother attacked him with a wet cloth, scrubbing at his face, behind his ears and the back of his neck. She handed him a suspiciously wrinkle-free shirt and pants before letting him escape to the bathroom.

The clothes were stiff and uncomfortable, but Jarrod knew better than to try to wear something else. Before he was half-ready, his mother called out.

"Hurry up, Jarrod. It's election day, remember?"

Jarrod let out a quiet groan. Oh, yeah. That.

His mother had been tirelessly campaigning for a council position among their group. There were seven positions available: Construction, Security, Science, Agriculture and Childcare made up the main divisions that were being voted on today. These council members would then propose candidates for the two remaining positions. The High Priest position roughly equated with the job of a mayor, taking care of all the details and making sure everything stayed organized. The High Priestess position, however, was both the final authority on governmental business as well as the spiritual leader of the colony. Karen had taken it upon herself to organize the elections, and today, everyone would see if all her hard work had been worthwhile.

As soon as Jarrod finished his breakfast, he and Karen strode through the still-deserted walkway to the meeting area. This central space was large enough to hold all of the colonists in their group, so long as none of the other groups on the ship were using it at the time. There were four groups in all, but each kept mainly to their own areas of the ship, only sharing the large meeting area, and that use was meticulously scheduled to prevent most interaction.

The meeting area was nearly empty. A dozen volunteers waited for the voting to begin. They were seated along one wall, behind a long table. Each volunteer had a workstation and an electronic workpad. Two of the volunteers were heatedly arguing. As soon as they noticed Karen, the two immediately rose and strode toward her.

"Karen! When are the volunteers going to cast their votes? Will it be before or after the rest of the colonists?"

"It should be after, we should complete our jobs before voting ourselves."

"No, it should be first, so we're not influenced by anything other voters say."

"But if we vote first, the voters might be influenced by what we say."

"Ok, you two," Karen quietly interrupted, "we already agreed that we would vote this morning, then open the doors to the colonists. Once anyone comes in, everyone knows not to say anything about any of the candidates, so there won't be any influence from either side."

After a bit of much quieter conversation, the two agreed that Karen's plan was for the best. Each of the volunteers cast their votes for the five council positions on the ballot, finishing just as the first colonists arrived. Karen was first in line to cast her vote on one of the workpads.

With all the preparation, everything ran smoothly as the election proceeded. All of the colonists had cast their votes by the noon deadline and Karen coordinated the computerized tally. Once the tally was complete and verified, the results scrolled across a large screen for all the colonists to see.

Agriculture, the council position responsible for all food supplies both onboard ship and as they began colonization, went to an energetic woman named Sandra. She hugged her son and her partner as the results were posted. Jarrod watched as she made her way through the crowd to the voting table to wait for the rest of the positions to be announced.

Construction went to Douglas, a tall, broad-shouldered man who towered over his slender wife and their small daughter. He swept both ladies into a crushing hug and gave out a booming laugh as those around him cheered his election.

The Security position went to Alex, an ex-military man, who nodded to well-wishers and shook hands with his partner and their son. The crowd parted for him to pass, allowing him to join the other council members gathered near the tables.

Science went to Dr. Marcus, which wasn't surprising at all. A brilliant biologist, Marcus had been instrumental in evaluating the scout ship reports about all the planets the ship would soon visit. Choosing Terran type planets with the best potential for colonist success had rested primarily upon his shoulders. Their group was thrilled to have him as a member, so electing him to the council position was a logical step.

The council position over Childcare appeared to have been closely contested. The results showed close percentages for the three candidates. The winner, Elizabeth, smiled at her husband and cradled her newborn daughter gently. She didn't have many children of her own yet, but came from a large family where she had helped raise several brothers and sisters. She had a gentle demeanor and a way of calming down tense situations.

Now that the five balloted positions were filled, the council members conferred briefly before Douglas' voice boomed out, quieting the restless crowd.

"We would like to present candidates for the position of High Priest at this time. First, we've selected Joshua. As you all know, Joshua is a skilled engineer by trade and quite good at organization and supervision."

A murmur of appreciation went through the crowd as Joshua stood up.

"The second candidate we've chosen is Derek. Derek ran several businesses back on Old Earth, working his way up from entry-level work to upper management. He knows logistics and is a good communicator."

A scattering of applause met Derek as he stood before the crowd.

Karen swiftly entered commands into the workstations, resetting the workpads for the new ballots, pausing to hear the suggestions for High Priestess from the newly elected council.

"For High Priestess, we have chosen Diane. Not only is she a first rate medical doctor, she has an extensive background in ritual work and has authored volumes of material regarding diverse Pagan religions."

Karen typed swiftly, pausing again to hear the name of the final candidate.

"And our last nominee is someone we're sure you all are familiar with, especially after witnessing her hard work over the last few weeks. Karen, put your name on that ballot, if you would please."

Before she could even react, Diane called out, "Sorry Douglas, council members, everyone, but I can't accept the nomination. Once we make landfall, even though that is a distant 3 years away, I am going to have my hands full with the medical facilities. Even with the other physicians we have, I just don't think it would be right to accept."

"As you wish, Diane," Douglas spoke after conferring again with the other council members, "we'll then nominate Jean. She led ritual for several years with her last coven, many of whom are among us now."

"Not a chance, Douglas." Jean called out from the middle of the crowd. "My days of leading are over. I signed on with the general laborers so I could get my hands good and dirty working with the Agriculture department, and I'd really rather not change my mindset now, please."

Shaking his head, but giving Jean a good-natured wave of understanding, Douglas turned back to the council. After a long moment of deliberation, Douglas turned back to the assembled colonists.

"So, does -anyone- want the job? And no, Karen, we're not letting you withdraw your nomination, so don't even ask."

His comments sparked laughter throughout the room, but no one volunteered.

"Anyone? No? Okay then, Karen, you're running unopposed, so it looks like you've got the job."

Karen sat in stunned silence for several moments before gathering her composure. Jarrod, tucked into an alcove along the wall, closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the cool metallic surface. He'd only thought life was rough before. Now things were truly going to go downhill. His mother. High Priestess for the colony.

Jarrod stealthily made his way toward the exit door nearest the walkway to the room that was his home for the next 3 years. The voting for High Priest was well underway before Jarrod finally made his escape.


	2. Chapter 2

Jarrod had nearly finished his schoolwork by the time his mother made it back to their room. At least she couldn't be upset with him if he was doing something educational, Jarrod thought, as he made his last few responses longer than absolutely necessary.

"Congratulations, Mother!" he forced cheerfulness into his voice.

"Oh. Thanks, Jarrod. Derek and I and the rest of the council will have our work cut out for us, I'm sure." Her distracted response gave Jarrod hope that he wouldn't be yelled at, at least for a while.

"I see you've changed clothes. That's good. You should hurry along, though. The rest of the council member's kids are getting together in the gym, at least the ones around your age. I don't need to remind you to do your best to get along with them… do I?"

"I'll do my best, Mother." Jarrod inwardly sighed. If Derek had won the High Priest spot, that meant Mark would be there along with Eric and Dennis, sons of Alex and Sandra. They weren't so bad on their own, but with Mark around, there could be trouble. Emily should be there, too. She was his age, but he hardly knew her - just knew she was Douglas' daughter and that she was usually quietly hanging around with the younger kids. Of course, small as she is, that kind of made sense.

Jarrod put away his schoolwork before heading toward the gym. Being aboard ship didn't give the colonists much chance to stay in shape, so most of them used the onboard exercise facilities. When they finally landed on their new planet, there would be plenty of things to keep everyone busy and lots of hard work to keep them fit, but for now, the gym fit into everyone's schedule at some point.

The kids mostly used the climbing bars and playground style equipment that took up one third of the room, while the adults often used the resistance equipment arranged on the other side to maintain their fitness. The middle of the room was open, with cushioned floors, to facilitate wrestling and martial arts falls. A yoga class was finishing up as Jarrod entered the room.

He spotted Emily first. He couldn't hear her, but she seemed to be arguing with the older boys. Dennis and Eric stood on either side of three scared looking younger boys. Mark was listening to Emily and frowning, his hands slowly clenching into fists. Jarrod walked up quickly, keeping his voice light to try to break up the tension in the group.

"Hey, guys, what's going on?"

Emily started talking fast, "Mark thinks he should be able to make the kids do whatever he wants just because his dad was made High Priest."

Mark interrupted, his voice oozing with charm as he lightly punched Jarrod in the shoulder. "Hey now, Jarrod, you and me, right? Got to show these little ones some leadership. How would it look for our parents if we don't have the respect of the kiddies."

One of the younger boys gave out a squeak, drawing Jarrod's attention. He realized that Dennis and Eric were gripping the boys tightly by the arms. The noise brought Mark's attention back to the trio of kids.

"So, brats, as I was saying, you and your little friends need to be more careful about who you bump into. Running around can be dangerous to your health.

The boy in the middle tried to stammer out an apology, but Mark sneered as he stepped toward the kid, "Too late, brat. You're going to be a lesson for the rest of these losers."

Before Jarrod could react, Mark lashed out, punching the boy in the stomach. Eric and Dennis let go of the kids, the one Mark had hit fell to the ground.

Dennis paled, "C'mon Mark, the kid didn't mean to bump into you, he was just playing."

"Can it," Mark snarled, narrowing his eyes at Dennis.

Dennis backed up a step, holding up his hands in a stopping gesture.

"Hey now, I'm on your side, remember?"

"You'd better remember whose side you're on."

Jarrod moved to help the boy up, but was stopped by Mark dropping an arm across his shoulders.

"Leave the brat, Jarrod. He'll survive, and now he'll know not to mess with his betters."

Jarrod shrugged off Mark's arm, glaring at him and continuing to help the boy.

"Knock it off, Mark. No one is better than anyone else. We're all the same. And if you can't figure that out on your own, maybe you're the one being a brat."

The kid Mark had punched gave Jarrod a grateful look before running off with his friends. Emily chimed in to support Jarrod.

"For goodness sake, Mark, that child didn't hurt you in the least. What do you think you're doing? Whatever it is, it isn't leadership, and I doubt your father would like to hear about it."

"Well, my father isn't going to hear about it, so it doesn't matter. And you need to keep your pretty little mouth shut, this doesn't concern you."

Emily gave him a look of outrage and turned bright pink, but didn't say anything else. Mark turned back to Jarrod.

"Come on, Jarrod, I'm sure there are more kids that need to be brought into line."

Jarrod shook his head, frowning at Mark. "No, Mark. Fighting doesn't solve anything, and besides, there's nothing wrong that needs to be solved - other than you being a bully. Leave the kids alone."

Mark turned to Dennis and Eric, "Leave the kids alone," he mocked, "guess little Jarrod is too much of a momma's boy for us, guys. But just to make my point…"

Mark paused and gestured for Dennis and Eric to grab Jarrod's arms. Emily moved toward the group, stepping between Jarrod and Mark.

"Stop it, Mark, you don't want to do something you'll regret," Emily pleaded.

"Well, I'm not going to hit a girl, that's for sure." Instead, Mark gave Emily a shove,

pushing her down onto the padded mat, before turning back to Jarrod. "Just stay down, Emily, you don't want to get hurt."

"You interrupted that kid's punishment, Jarrod. I guess you'll just have to take his place."

When Dennis and Eric finally let Jarrod sink to the floor, he was covered with bruises. Mark had placed his blows carefully, though, so no permanent damage had been done.

"Now, don't get any ideas about talking to my father about this, either of you. Unless you just want more pain."

Mark laughed and walked out, trailed by Dennis and Eric. The only witnesses were a group of younger kids playing on the climbing bars. They watched with wide eyes as Emily helped Jarrod get up.

"I'm going to tell my father what Mark has done, Jarrod," Emily started, but Jarrod broke in quickly.

"It won't do any good, Emily, no one will believe it. Mark is too good at looking like the perfect kid around his dad, and Dennis and Eric will back up whatever he says. Don't worry about it. He'll get tired of all this soon enough and life will go back to normal."

"I don't like it, but if you're sure, I'll let you handle it however you want." Emily frowned.

"Good. At least that's settled. I should get back to my room, I guess." Jarrod gave Emily a half-smile as he slowly walked toward the door. "I'll see you later."

Yes, you will, thought Emily as she watched Jarrod leave. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of another workout group. Emily watched the kids playing on the climbing bars for a while before heading back to the room she shared with her mom and dad.


	3. Chapter 3

Wincing as Karen scrubbed at his bruised and bloodied lip, Jarrod mentally tuned out her tirade.

"Fighting. I can't believe you. What could possibly have been going through your head to make you get into a fight, today of all days?"

She hadn't paused for an answer during the last five minutes, and Jarrod's face was beginning to ache from her continued doctoring.

"There's no excuse for this. You should know better."

Jarrod tried once more to explain, but was immediately cut off.

"No, I don't want to hear any excuses. There are no excuses. Whatever happened doesn't matter. What matters is that you get your act together and stop behaving like a wild beast. Now, you're going to be very familiar with your schoolwork over the next few weeks, because you are grounded until every last mark is gone. I can only imagine what people would think, seeing you walking around looking like that. Do you ever consider things like that? No, of course you don't."

Again, Jarrod let her words fade into a dull buzz in the background of his thoughts. Staying in their room wouldn't be so bad. At least he'd be by himself most of the time since Karen would be busy with her new duties as High Priestess.

Over the next two weeks, Jarrod diligently worked through his lessons, completing several chapters ahead of schedule. Nothing he could do seemed to make his mother any happier. Their days had become a routine of breakfasts and dinners, punctuated by long absences as his mother worked. Soon after eating, Jarrod would crawl into bed and try not to think of what Mark, Dennis and Eric might be doing to the younger kids during his absence.

His face had healed, and all the bruises on his body were faded to a faint yellow, before his mother finally gave him permission to leave the room again. His first stop was the gym. When he walked in, he noticed the kids on the climbing bars freeze for an instant - until they realized who had entered. Apparently the torment of the younger kids had not stopped during his absence.

"About time you showed up." Emily's quiet voice sounded loud in the nearly empty room.

"Grounded," Jarrod shrugged.

He stretched, before starting a familiar exercise routine. Emily joined in, not saying anything else. As they finished, Jarrod finally spoke again.

"Did I miss anything?"

"Not much, unless you count Mark throwing his weight around. The little ones are too afraid to resist, so they either scatter or just do whatever he demands. Word got around that he hurt you pretty badly. A couple of kids thought you were dead. I talked to your mom, though, and she said you were studying."

Jarrod frowned, considering his options. Emily was a decent sort, friendly and nice. He took several minutes to make up his mind before speaking again.

"Hey, want to go see the goats? Sometimes the ag people let me help feed the little ones."

"Sure," Emily smiled, "the baby goats are cute."

A half hour later and Emily sat cross-legged on the floor with a baby goat in her lap, speaking softly to it as it drank out of a bottle. Jarrod had three young goats standing around him, one nibbling at his shirt sleeve, another butting his head against Jarrod's side demanding to be scratched. The third was falling asleep, leaning against Jarrod's knees.

"I think you got the easy part this time," Jarrod laughed as he once again pulled his shirt out of the little goat's mouth.

One of the ag workers came over and led the little goats back to their pen as soon as Emily's bottle was empty. Jarrod and Emily wandered around for a little while, before long finding themselves among the crates of cargo. They climbed up the stacked crates, having nothing better to do at the moment.

"Hey, look what I've found." Emily called Jarrod over to her discovery.

Clambering over a crate near the top of the stack, Jarrod let out a low whistle.

"Nice place you've got here."

Emily had found a two meter square gap between towers of crates. Sitting down, she couldn't be seen from floor level and it would be difficult to find the spot unless you knew it was there. A solid patchwork of crates formed a mostly level floor, with one a little higher to one side.

"This would be nice with a blanket spread on the floor. The raised bit could serve as a table. Kind of like a fort."

Jarrod smiled at Emily's enthusiasm. The spot did have potential. The best part was, Mark and his lackeys would be hard pressed to find them here.

"I'm pretty sure I can snag an extra blanket," Jarrod agreed.

"I'll bring a cushion or two and some books." Emily grinned.

The evening alarm sounded, startling Jarrod and Emily.

"Time to get back to the room," Jarrod gave Emily a half-smile. "See you tomorrow?"

"I'll be here." Emily returned the grin.


End file.
